Victoria bushfires: Major blazes still out of control as residents may be allowed to return home

Five of the 29 bushfires burning in Victoria this morning are still out of control stretching across 59,000 hectares of land.

A cooler weather change that is moving over the state has seen yesterday’s ‘Emergency’ warning zones downgraded to a ‘Watch and Act’ level, however authorities have warned that four major fires are still out of control.

Those incidents include the largest blaze still raging in Victoria at the Bunyip State Park which is still sparking spot fires in multiple areas.

However, the favourable weather conditions should see some residents allowed back to their homes in bushfire-ravaged areas to assess any damages.

At Yinnar South, which was yesterday a major ‘Emergency’ zone, 1820 hectares of land have been burnt so far and the fire is still active. Today that bushfire is also at a ‘Watch and Act’ warning level.

The fire at Licola has burned more than 17,000 hectares and is moving in a north-easterly direction, but some of the affected zones have eased due to light rain that fell overnight.

Meanwhile, at Dargo yesterday’s ‘Emergency’ bushfire has also slowed significantly and remains at a ‘Watch and Act’ as firefighters work to extinguish spot fires after they stopped it growing any bigger.

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The status updates come as residents have voiced their frustrations about fire regulation in the affected areas.

Despite it looking likely that residents will today be allowed back into the regions around their homes to assess damages and the Country Fire Authority working to make sure it is safe to do so, some have said fire authorities did not do enough to help them during the emergency.

“I got to the corner and the fire brigade (were) all sitting up on the corner. Not one truck attended,” Rex Newtown, a resident living near the Bunyip State Park, told 9News.